Gas-electric hybrids are a good option for people who want a car with an electric motor but do not want to be concerned about range. These vehicles are more complicated than cars that only use electric power.
In a correct driving style, gas is not used as often, and this reduces the wear on components. Infrequent use of gas can cause problems with ethanol. This is especially true if drivers do not replace their gas on a regular basis.
I own a Volvo XC60 charger plug-in hybrid. For maximum electric power, I recommend a range of at least 30 miles. As you approach 100 miles, it becomes less necessary to use the gasoline engine. Fully electric cars work best as secondary vehicles, while plug-in hybrids or gas cars can be used as primary cars.
Let’s talk about plug-in hybrid cars this week, and we’ll close with my Product of the Week: The Black Diamond gaming keyboard, which I’ve been using since December and simply love — which is good as it wasn’t a cheap date.
Understanding Hybrid Car Technology
Hybrids come in different forms. At first, cars with a secondary electric system were the most popular. This allowed them to have smaller engines which were more fuel-efficient. These cars are mostly gone and only the Corvette E-Ray or supercars use this technology. It is less about fuel economy and more about pure power.
Hydrogen-powered cars today are hybrids, because they use the hydrogen to power generators that charge batteries. If they had enough of a fueling eco-system (they don’t), they would be superior to pure electric cars. Their waste is water, and their range is not as limited.
There are home hydrogen generators, but at over $10,000, they are expensive compared to an electric car Level 2 charger, which costs less than a grand and can be as low as $200. This is a niche market until the fueling issue is solved.
Plug-in hybrids are the most popular. They typically combine a gas engine with electric motors. Electric cars such as the BMW i3 had gas-powered generators that extended their range. These are now mostly gone, since most people didn’t like to give up luggage capacity in order to have a standalone generator that could charge the battery.
Some cars have both motors linked within the same drivetrain, while others, like my Volvo, feature a design where the gas engine drives one pair of wheels — typically the front set — and the electric motor powers the other pair.
These vehicles have a longer range than pure electrics and can even go beyond pure gas cars. They are usually gas cars that use a secondary power system to give them extra range. This class is what I will focus on.
They have smaller batteries so they charge faster at home. A full recharge can take less than 10 hrs or over night.
Polestar 1
(Image Credit: Polestar)
The best plug-in hybrid vehicle is, in my opinion, the Polestar 1 Polestar says it can travel up to 77 mph in pure electric mode. Its massive 52 EPA mile electric range is the main reason for its popularity.
At $150,000 it’s not cheap, but is the closest plug-in electric hybrid in its class. This car is a big GT, more like a sports car. It is a stunning car to look at and it’s a great value for money.
The performance of a hybrid is impressive, despite the fact that these cars are heavy. The car has around 600 horsepower and 738 pound-feet torque. It can go from 0-60 in 4.3 seconds. Gas engine with turbochargers and superchargers to prevent turbo lag.
The first Polestar, this car looks and feels like it was designed to be a showcar. This is the car I would choose if budget was not an issue. This car is rolling sculpture. They look better in person.
Range Rover Sport Autobiography
Image Credit: Jaguar Land Rover
Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), which is struggling to develop an all-electric vehicle line for release next year, has a solution. Range Rover Sport Autobiography The hybrid electric is one of most efficient and affordable vehicles on the market.
The Polestar 2 is not a significant improvement on the Polestar 1. It also shows that you will pay more if you don’t want to compromise. JLR has had a bad year and may be more willing than usual to negotiate. This car has 543 horsepower. It is not as powerful as a Polestar but is more practical.
This vehicle is perfect for those who like the look and style of the Range Rover, but also want the electric capability of a plug in hybrid. It has a range certified at 51 miles and a 0-60 time of just 4.7 seconds.
This model is a decent-looking truck that offers the same off-road capability as a Range Rover. The price of this truck is still too high for many buyers. Also, there are concerns over whether JLR can survive with its electric pivot.
BMW X5 xDrive50e
Image credit: BMW Group
After the previous two cars, the $73,000 BMW X5 xDrive50e It looks like a great deal. It is a decent vehicle with good horsepower and torque. The sprint time from 0-60 seconds is 4.6 seconds. It’s not as beautiful as a Range Rover or Polestar. However, it is more practical due to its large storage space and lower price.
It should also perform well in bad weather. And, since it is a BMW model, the handling should be excellent, if a bit stiff. It’s not a bad looking car but it does lack the huge grille of some of the newer BMWs. It doesn’t stand out either, which is good since people with expensive cars are often targets for thieves.
BMW is not in financial difficulty, and it is also not a brand new company. It’s likely that BMW will still be around after you buy the car to provide service. A larger dealer network means that servicing your car should be much easier.
Volvo XC60 Recharge
(Image Credit: Volvo Car Group)
We drive the Volvo XC60A 2021 model. When I told her we were getting a Volvo she said it would be over her dead bodies because she didn’t like to see herself in a boxy Volvo. After seeing the car and driving it, she was sold. Although our car only has 20 miles of range on electric power, the current models have twice as much. This makes me wish that I had waited and bought a newer model.
The car is great for our pets and it handled the huge snowdrops a few months ago like a tractor, with just a little slippage, in part due to the snow tires it has. Towing capacity is approximately 3,000 pounds. The vehicle is a bit lighter, but this doesn’t take away from its overall capability. The 455 horsepower SUV can go from 0-60 in just 5.9 seconds. Prices begin in the low $40k range. Ours was closer to $65,000 when fully equipped.
Our car was purchased three years ago and has never caused us any problems. The Volvo is great for short trips and long drives, with a range of more than 500 miles. This is the best bargain in this list.
Toyota Prius Prime
(Image Credit: Toyota)
Toyota Prius is the car of choice for Uber and Lyft. Prius may not be my favorite hybrid car, but it’s hard to deny that they are a great line.
It is important to note that the word “you” means “you”. Prius Prime With plug-in capabilities, pure value is at the top. The three models (SE/XSE/XSE-Premium) have a MSRP starting at $32,975 and going up to $39670. It is not at all a high-performance car. This is one of the slowest plug-in hybrids on the market, with a 0-60 time of just 6.6 seconds.
Prius Prime builds on the legacy of Prius and has raised the bar in the pluggin hybrid segment. They are one of most practical plug in hybrids, but I do not like the performance.
The Prius Prime is my top pick, but I would recommend it to those who need gas mileage or are likely drive their wheels off.
Related: The 5 Best Electric Cars on the Market | Jan. 8, 2024
Wrapping up
In our case, since we only drive less than 10 miles from home, a plug in hybrid is a better choice for a primary vehicle. This is because we have a large solar plant on our home; we basically drive the car for free and go through about three tanks of gas a year — which keeps us from having the ethanol problem of gelled old gas.
If we had an updated Volvo, we would purchase non-ethanol fuel to fix this problem and reduce our gas consumption at least by one tank every year.
Plug-in Hybrids are a good option for those that want the benefits of electric cars but don’t like the inconvenience of charging in public. They also need more range. The plug-in hybrids offer a great way to lower carbon emissions and enjoy at-home chargers while the nation continues to expand its electric charging infrastructure.
It’s true that these cars will disappear from the market in a few short years. But, that is not likely to happen within the next five years. This makes current purchases relatively secure.
Black Diamond 75 Advanced Edition Gaming Keyboard
I like mechanical keys. They make more noise but they are better for me because I write so much and the keyboard feels great. The Black Diamond 75 keyboard It looks and feels fantastic.
(Image credit: Dry Studio).
It is heavy, and the top is transparent so you can see inside. The keyboard has a luxury look and feel, thanks to the weight. This mechanical keyboard is relatively quiet, as Black Diamond has done a great job of sound deadening it, yet still clicks.
The configuration that I have is a lot carbon fiber with backlighting, and it has worked perfectly for me over the months I’ve used it. The Lamborghini Aventador was the inspiration for the design of this keyboard, and you can see it in the finished product. The Lamborghini is out of my price range, but this $295 keyboard would be a good alternative.
The Black Diamond Bluetooth keyboard can be charged wirelessly if you use a charging mat. It has a 75-day battery life, but I still keep it plugged in.
You can use this tool for writing or playing games. It’s almost like typing on an art piece that can withstand abuse. Even after two months, the keyboard still looks like new. It is difficult to believe, but I fell in love.
The Black Diamond 75 gaming key is my Product Of The Week. It makes me smile every time I type at my computer. It’s AWESOME! It’s AWESOME!
